2022 has been a rough year for human rights, reproductive rights, and the rights of marginalized groups full stop, both in the U.S. and around the world. The beer community has been directly affected by these myriad crises—but thanks to powerful advocacy and strong, effective fundraising initiatives led by Lindsay Malu Kido and her 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Beer Is For Everyone (BIFE), there have been greater levels of support, too.
Lindsay Malu Kido (she/they) is a mixed-Indigenous, Brown, queer craft beer lover with a passion for social justice. She launched BIFE in 2020 to create a news and information platform to amplify marginalized voices in the industry. Since then, Kido has grown the BIFE collective from a handful of writers to over 20 contributors. She edits, illustrates, and publishes regular deep-dives into topics and initiatives related to diversity and inclusion in the industry, from decolonization to rainbow-washing and cancel culture.
In 2022, Kido used BIFE to create fundraising merchandise for Ukraine; sponsor Bandera Brewing’s Uvalde Strong fundraising event; and launch the Drinking in Another State collaboration-beer project, which supports an anonymous access fund for hospitality workers who need to travel out of state for reproductive healthcare. They also collaborated with Women of the Bevolution to launch the BIPOC Female & Non-Binary Creators in Brewing Grant, offering sponsorship, financial aid, and mentorship to women and nonbinary entrepreneurs, digital creators, brewers, and homebrewers starting their own businesses or projects.
Kido was also part of the Create Ethical Breweries collaboration with Brave Noise and the Bevolution Brave Voices Fund, and presented at the Craft Brewers Conference about cultural appropriation in the beer industry. Her talk, “Crafting Cultural Appreciation in the Alcohol Industry: A Workshop for Change,” will have a follow-up curriculum and guide released soon.
Their other achievements this year include joining the DEI education subcommittee of the Brewers Association and taking part in a CraftBeerCon panel on women beer entrepreneurs and women-led nonprofits—all while growing their career as a professional poker player and studying for their PhD in Indigenous Education. Kido is a tireless advocate for marginalized groups in the beer industry who has responded swiftly and proactively to the many major blows of 2022, using beer as a force for good.
Words,Ruvani de Silva